How this calculator works
A hybrid usually costs more upfront but burns less fuel per kilometer. Dividing the extra purchase price by how much you save on fuel each year tells you how long you'd need to keep the car before the hybrid actually comes out ahead.
- distance — kilometers driven per year
- economy — fuel economy (km per liter)
More detail
When the hybrid never pays for itself
If the two cars have close to the same fuel economy, or you drive very little each year, the annual savings shrink toward zero and the break-even period stretches into centuries. The calculator does not hide that — it prints the number as it comes out. With a 3,000,000 won price gap, 15,000 km a year and fuel at 1,700 won/L, a hybrid at 16 km/L against a gasoline car at 15.9 km/L saves only 10,024 won a year, so the result reads 299.3 years; the absurdity of the figure is the answer. The calculator switches to "Never recovers" only when annual savings are zero or negative — that is, when the hybrid's fuel economy matches or trails the gasoline car's, so fuel alone can never close the gap.
Beyond fuel. Low annual mileage weakens the fuel-cost case for a hybrid, but city stop-and-go driving is exactly where hybrids save the most (regenerative braking recovers energy gasoline engines waste idling). Weigh your actual driving pattern, not just the distance total.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to break even on a 3,000,000 won price gap if fuel is 1,700 won/L?
With a hybrid at 20 km/L, a gasoline car at 14 km/L, and 15,000 km driven per year, annual fuel savings are about 546,429 won, so the break-even point is roughly 5.5 years.
What if the two cars have almost the same fuel economy?
Then annual fuel savings shrink toward zero and the break-even period balloons — the calculator shows the large number rather than hiding it. At 16 km/L versus 15.9 km/L (3,000,000 won gap, 15,000 km a year, 1,700 won/L) the annual saving is 10,024 won and the result is 299.3 years. It only reports "Never recovers" when the annual saving is zero or negative, which happens when the hybrid matches or trails the gasoline car on fuel economy.
Does driving more each year shorten the break-even period?
Yes. Annual savings scale with distance driven, so doubling your yearly mileage roughly halves the years needed to recover the price difference, all else being equal.